Pakistani singer Adnan Sami's more-than-a-decade-long quest for Indian citizenship ended on Thursday with the Indian government granting him a New Year gift: his new nationality comes into effect from January 1.

The popular singer, who shot to fame with several solo albums and Bollywood hits in the past decade, had first applied for Indian citizenship in 2004. Finally he will not live in India on the basis of visa ex tensions, the last given to him on October 6.

The 46-year-old singer's hits like 'Lift Karaa De', a music video starring actor Govinda, were a sensation in the early 2000s. His popular touch was seen again this year with his song 'Bhar do jholi meri' in Salman Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan turning out to be a big hit. He is likely to visit the ministry of home affairs to complete the formalities related to his citizenship on Friday.

He told TOI that as an artiste, he loves “Indian culture, the vibes Mumbai has and its beautiful loving people who have embraced me with love and who I feel are my own“. He lives with his wife Roya at Lokhandwala in Andheri.

The singer had made a fresh representation to the home ministry on May 26 this year requesting his stay in India on humanitarian grounds. Lahore-born Sami had first arrived in India on March 13, 2001 on a visitor's visa. His Pakistani passport issued on May 27, 2010 expired on May 26, 2015 and was not renewed by the Pakistan government, which led him to approach the Indian government with the request to legalize his stay in India on humanitarian grounds.

But Adnan's original citizenship application dates to the Vajpayee government's tenure. His three-month visa, with mandatory reporting to the FRRO for each extension, was then relaxed to six months and later a year's duration. But the singer, with a soaring career in music here, wanted Indian citizenship because it would help his professional career and also as he liked being in Mumbai. The requirement was for a five-year stay in India. His father, a former Pakistani air force pilot and later a diplomat, lived with him and died in 2009 in Mumbai. Sami was elated as he spoke to TOI saying he was on way to Delhi. Advocate Sujay Kantawala, one of his legal advisors in the citizenship, said the proceedings were pending for years before the home ministry.

In 2012, the Bombay High Court had granted Adnan divorce from previous wife Sabah Galadari, a UAE national, while allowing other issues to be pursued before the family court. The family court later directed Sami to also pay Sabah Rs 5.3 crore towards the money she claimed she gave him in 2007-08 and Rs 1 crore as compensation for domestic violence, Rs 10 lakh as a belated meher amount and Rs 1 lakh for litigation. Sami's later challenged the family court order in the HC as “illegal, erroneous and misdirected''.

As per the data of home ministry, 3,753 Pakistani nationals were given long-term visas over 2013 and 2014 (up to June 30) and 1,854 granted citizenship between 2011and 2014. Recently, India also accorded citizenship to 14,864 people who were living in the enclaves on the Bangladeshi side, as part of a land boundary agreement signed by Narendra Modi government with Bangladesh.